Michigan Master Plumber License Requirements (2026)

Michigan licenses plumbing apprentices, journey plumbers, master plumbers, and plumbing contractors statewide through LARA’s Bureau of Construction Codes. A Journey Plumber applicant needs at least 6,000 hours over at least three years as an actively registered plumbing apprentice under licensed supervision, then must pass both written and hands-on practical examinations on one application. A Master Plumber applicant needs 4,000 hours as a journey plumber during the two years immediately before applying, with an active journey license that has not lapsed more than 60 days. A plumbing-contractor business needs master-plumber representation.

Regulatory Body

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs — Bureau of Construction Codes (LARA BCC) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under Michigan Skilled Trades Regulation Act, MCL 339.5101 et seq., including Article 6 plumbing provisions.. LARA BCC registers plumbing apprentices; licenses journey, master, and contractor applicants; approves exams; and manages renewal.

Official portal: https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc/sections/licensing-section/exam-lic/plumbing-examination-licensing-registration-application-information
Address: P.O. Box 30255, Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 241-9316

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. No Michigan residency requirement was identified in the LARA materials reviewed.

Good moral character

Applicants certify statutory eligibility and LARA reviews applications under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act.

Background investigation

Use the current LARA application for required disclosures; this audit does not claim a universal fingerprint requirement.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 3 years of Journey: at least 6,000 hours over at least three years as an actively registered plumbing apprentice in practical installation under a licensed master or journey plumber. Master: 4,000 hours of journey-plumber work over at least two years immediately preceding application; a lapse of more than 60 days in the journey license during that period does not satisfy the requirement., and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Active plumbing-apprentice registration history for the Journey route
Current LARA experience statement/application documentation
For Master, notarized employer statements with dates, hours, work type, licensed supervision, and required signatures

Education substitution

No general classroom-hour or college-credit substitution was substantiated in the current LARA Journey or Master requirements.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI administers the written Journey examination; LARA schedules the hands-on practical Journey examination. LARA/PSI administer the applicable Master and contractor examinations.. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Journey Plumber written examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Journey Plumber hands-on practical skills examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Master Plumber examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: Pay the applicable current LARA application/license fee and PSI examination fee as directed in the current application and scheduling notice.

Retake policy: For Journey applicants, both written and practical portions must be passed on a single application. The application is valid one year and passing scores do not carry over to a new application.

Insurance and Bonds

No statewide contractor license surety bond is required for this credential in the cited sources. Project-specific, permit, or public-works bonds may still apply, so confirm bonding before bidding a given job.

General liability

No statewide general-liability minimum for the individual Journey or Master credential was established in the LARA source reviewed. Check contractor, permit, municipal, and project requirements separately.

Workers' compensation

Workers’ compensation obligations depend on the business and workforce under Michigan law; verify with the responsible Michigan agency or a qualified adviser.

Additional financial requirements

No statewide individual-plumber financial-statement requirement was identified in the current LARA materials.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Initial license	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Renewal (every year)	$40

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Michigan plumber.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Michigan Journey Plumber / Master Plumber / Plumbing Contractor must be renewed every year. The fee to renew is presently $40. Journey licenses renew annually by April 30. The Master experience rule makes on-time Journey renewal particularly important.

Continuing education: Journey plumbers take a code-update course only within one year after a new code is adopted; retain records in case of audit. Confirm current Master and contractor renewal instructions in LARA’s portal.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Michigan Plumber License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Michigan grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

No general interstate plumbing reciprocity list or Michigan-specific exam-only waiver was substantiated. LARA describes a possible examination waiver for qualifying military/uniformed-service applicants holding an active valid out-of-state plumbing license.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Plumber license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Plumber Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Michigan's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Indiana Plumber License Requirements — Indiana Plumbing Contractor (and Journeyman Plumber)
Ohio Plumber License Requirements — Ohio Plumbing Contractor (OCILB Commercial License)
Wisconsin Plumber License Requirements — Wisconsin Master Plumber

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Register as a plumbing apprentice. Keep the registration active; unregistered or lapsed time does not count toward the Journey experience requirement.
Accrue and document Journey experience. Complete at least 6,000 practical-installation hours over at least three years under a licensed master or journey plumber.
Apply for both Journey examinations. LARA requires the written and hands-on practical portions on one application. PSI schedules the written test and LARA publishes practical-test dates.
Maintain active Journey status. Renew on time and complete a code update course only when required after adoption of a new code.
Complete the Master experience period. Accrue 4,000 Journey hours over the two years immediately before applying; avoid a Journey lapse over 60 days.
Apply for Master or contractor licensure. Pass the Master examination. A contractor applicant must be an eligible business representative and either be, or employ, the Master Plumber who represents the business.

Application Checklist

Ahead of submission to LARA BCC, confirm every item on this short list:

Active apprentice registration
6,000 hours over three years for Journey eligibility
Journey written and hands-on-practical examinations
Active Journey license and 4,000 Master-qualifying hours over the immediate two years
Master examination
Master representation and business information for contractor licensure
Local permits and any municipal insurance requirements

Common Filing Mistakes

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a Michigan Plumber application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Counting time without active apprentice registration

LARA says time without active registration does not count toward Journey requirements.

Preparing only for a written Journey test

Journey applicants must pass both written and hands-on practical examinations on the same application.

Lapsing the Journey license before applying for Master

A Journey lapse over 60 days within the two immediate preceding years prevents the Master experience period from qualifying.

Operating a business with no Master representative

The Plumbing Contractor credential will not issue without the required Master representation.

Study and Reference Materials

These materials are drawn from the regulator's own citations and the references applicants commonly use to prepare. CLR receives no compensation for listing them.

Current Michigan Plumbing Code — Michigan LARA. Use the current Michigan code and LARA/PSI candidate material for examination preparation.
LARA Journey and Master application instructions — Michigan LARA. Primary source for experience documentation and the required written/practical testing route.

Other Michigan Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional Michigan trades; the published ones are listed here:

Frequently Asked Questions

How much experience is required for a Michigan Journey Plumber?

At least 6,000 hours over at least three years as an actively registered plumbing apprentice in practical installation under licensed master or journey supervision.

Are classroom hours required for Michigan Journey licensure?

The current LARA Journey requirements state the 6,000-hour/three-year registered-apprentice experience rule and both examinations; they do not state a universal 576-hour classroom prerequisite.

Do Journey applicants take a practical exam?

Yes. LARA requires both written and hands-on practical skills examinations on one application.

What does it take to become a Master Plumber?

The applicant needs 4,000 hours of Journey work over at least two years immediately preceding application and an active Journey license without a disqualifying lapse, then passes the Master exam.

When does a plumbing business need a contractor license?

A contractor applicant must be an eligible business representative and either hold a Master license or employ a Master Plumber as its representative. LARA will not issue the contractor license without Master representation.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.